Maoist leader Sabyasachi on hunger strike in jail

Berhampur: Leader and founder of Odisha Maobadi Party, Sabyasachi Panda is on hungerstrike in jail for the past three days demanding speedy trial of the cases against him.

His demands include regular production in court during the hearing and providing of all facilities like other undertrail prisoners in jail. He also protested against his solitary confinement in the jail, said his advocate Deepak Patnaik.

He was, however, produced in a court here in connection with a case during the day.

Senior superintendent of the jail, B B Patnaik said he has been trying to convince Panda to take food and rejected the allegation that he was kept in solitary confinement in the jail.

Panda has been kept in high security wards, he said.

Panda is being administered ORS and medicines and the jail doctor was checking his health regularly, Patnaik said adding steps will be taken as per medical advice if he continued with his hunger strike.

50-year old Panda had resorted hunger-strike time to time since his arrest on July 18, 2014 on similar demands.